Goodnight, Goodnight
by bubblebuttsbabe
Summary: She left, hoping he'd change. Five years later, they meet again. But something's different. And just as he tries to find his place in her life...everything changes. Based off of the song "Goodnight, Goodnight" by Maroon 5. Five part song fic.
1. You Left Me Hanging

**A/N**: I know I've got other stories to finish. And I'm going to finish them. But sometimes, you get to a point where you're stuck. And my head is kind of stuck in everything I'm writing right now. This is kind of my way out.

So, I hope you don't mind.

It's a song five-parter fic and as per my head, it's a _Jommy_...if you wanna look at it that way. Everything that happened in Season 3 still happened and Jude made her choice..._Tommy_. This is the aftermath.

Song information is**…"Goodnight, Goodnight" by Maroon 5**. I don't know what it is with their current album, but I have been in love with it since it was released and I see every song as something I can use in a story. It's so bad! But I figured you'd want to know what the song was now, just in case you'd like to listen to it while you read or if you've never heard of it before. But I will say it does almost make me want to cry.

Um, I've also been writing an entire fic of one shots based on Maroon 5 songs, but that won't get posted for awhile. This one is ready, so here it is.

I hope you like it.

**THANKS MUCHO!**

* * *

**Goodnight, Goodnight**

Chapter One

"You Left Me Hanging"

"She's yours," she whispered, standing with her head down, her hands fumbling with each other in nervousness.

His eyes widened, his heart stopped, and his stomach lurched as if he had just come to a complete stop on some crazy, wild rollercoaster.

Because that's what his life had become.

He sighed heavily, not knowing what to say.

"Come on, Quincy. Say something," she said, looking up at him, her vision beginning to blur with tears. But she didn't need her sight to know what he looked like. She knew. Always had since the moment she had laid eyes on him.

Even now, standing in the middle of the dim G-Major parking lot, she knew.

His dark hair. His blue eyes. His full lips. She knew. In more ways than one.

Because he was hers.

"What do you want me to say?" he asked.

Her eyes glared vividly. "Something. Anything, damnit!" she cried. She huffed loudly, knowing he was still the placid man she had walked out on five years ago.

He hadn't changed.

"Jude-" he started. He needed her to understand.

He _had_ changed.

For her.

She glanced away quickly and then looked back at him a second later. "Don't. Just don't, Quincy," she spat.

"I love you, Jude," he responded, his voice full of conviction. A conviction he didn't even know he had until that moment.

"It doesn't matter," she said, shaking her head. She pulled her jacket closer to her, a wind beginning to pick up in the midnight sky. "This was a mistake. I've gotta go. She's waiting."

_You left me hanging from a thread we once swung from together  
I've lick my wounds but I can't ever see them getting better  
Something's gotta change  
Things cannot stay the same_

He pressed his head against the cool leather of his Viper. Her face was permanently plastered into his mind.

"_She's yours."_

How could he have ever formed words to react to that? How?

There was no way on God's green earth that he would have ever formed coherent sentences to let her know he understood.

Because he did.

Maybe he always had and it wasn't until now that he finally admitted it.

He didn't know. But it didn't matter.

Things had been so different for so long that everything was hitting him from all sides.

He was a father.

He had a daughter.

And he still loved Jude.

After everything they had been through.

He sat back in his seat and sighed heavily, remembering the last time he saw Jude.

He was so stupid. He had lost everything that ever meant anything to him.

He had come home, drunk as usual, only to find her sitting Indian-style on their bed with her bags packed. The bed was made, the sheets tucked in at all sides as if no one had slept in the bed for a while.

At least he knew he hadn't been in their bed for awhile.

"I've had enough," she said, her voice full of venom, her jaw clenched.

Her words had not penetrated his thick skull until it was too late, the front door of their loft slamming loudly. He knew they had had problems.

That he was the source of them. Staying out at all times of the night, worrying her to death until she became numb to it all and stopped caring.

But that night, he didn't care. Because he had also stopped caring.

Their relationship stayed rocky after her 18th birthday. They were good, bad, and in between.

They had been happy, sad, and just okay.

The worst part was that no one knew. Everyone thought they had bounced back and were stronger than ever after Hunter was arrested and he had kissed Sadie.

But they weren't. And it was his fault.

She trusted him beyond belief, but he always managed to find a way to fuck it all up.

Late nights. Parties. Alcohol. Different women.

Although he never cheated on her physically, he had emotionally.

And it wasn't until now, five years later, that he understood he had taken everything she had ever given him and gave nothing in return.

He was a fucking screw up. But he had grown up and gotten his shit together.

He just had to make her see.

_Her hair was pressed against her face, her eyes were red with anger  
Enraged by things unsaid and empty beds and bad behavior  
Something's gotta change  
It must be rearranged, oh_

He walked into studio A and saw her sitting in the live room on a stool.

He dropped his jacket and leaned against the soundboard, pressing the intercom button.

"Hey Jude," he said, smiling widely.

She looked up from the guitar on her lap and smirked.

It had been a month since he had come back and Jude had told him he was a father.

A long, hard month, but they had persevered.

They were friends.

"It's your turn to pick up Marie from school, you know."

"It's in my crackberry," he said, holding up one of the most offending objects that he owned. At least in Jude's mind.

"I've got a song," she said, smiling.

"Let's do this then," he responded.

He pulled out a swivel chair and planted himself in it. She began strumming lightly. A chord here and there, then when she finally found the perfect structure, she began to sing.

He leaned back, not really paying attention. He just loved to hear her voice. A voice he hadn't heard in years.

A voice that wasn't yelling at him or that wasn't connected to a body part that was throwing something at his head.

When he was in France, he would listen to her four albums on repeat, just to hear her voice. It was an obsession.

Something almost impossible to break.

Even now. On the rare day that he didn't work with her, he would put her albums on and just listen. No one knew but him.

He reveled in the sound that was floating through the speakers, thinking about how badly he had messed up and how much he wish he hadn't let Jude walk away.

That he had fought for them, not against them.

He knew it was still too soon to make any future plans with her.

But they had a daughter together.

And that changed everything.

Whether Jude would be willing to admit it, they were a family.

And sooner or later, he was coming home.

_I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt my little girl  
It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of the heavy world  
So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight  
Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight  
Goodnight, hope that things work out all right, yeah  
Whoa_


	2. The Room Was Silent

**A/N**: Um, I think the way this chapter is written is the way I wanted to keep it. I have a bunch of versions floating on both my desktop and my laptop and I'm using my desktop to finish my midterm so that I can send it to my professor (not that you guys care :D), I just don't think I changed anything that would make a difference.

I hope you like this chapter, but based on your comments, I don't necessarily think you will since it isn't what you guys expected. Sorry.

**THANKS**:

chocolateelephantz: Aww…thanks! I'm glad. I wouldn't have had it any other way. I think Tommy's time away has allowed him to actually change and mature. I'm rooting for them too! LOL. I'm posting now! Thank you so much.

Jommy23: LOL. I'm glad you love it. Tommy changes…believe me. Thank you! Here is the next part.

Twilit Fire: LOL. Thank you. I'm glad you like it enough to go on alert.

anothercasualty: LOL! Thanks. I'm glad you like it so much. Tommy, not caring? That'll get addressed next chapter. Um, that will also be addressed next chapter. He _has_ changed and Jude? I guess you'll just have to read to find out. Yep, it gets frustrating when you can't figure yourself out sometimes. LOL. Thank you so much for your review. I appreciate it so much!

Jenn6891: I'm updating now!

cellardoor: WHAT?! LOL. It's okay, you can hate them. :D Thank you so much. I'm glad you loved it!

bbybty9: Thank you! I_ am_ continuing it. I'm posting the next chapter right now.

**DISCLAIMER**: Song: "Goodnight, Goodnight" by Maroon 5. Listen to it. I love it. :D

**THANKS MUCHO!**

**Goodnight, Goodnight**

Chapter Two

"The Room Was Silent"

The eerie quiet that filled her childhood home was deafening.

He sat with Marie on his lap, her hands clutching at his collar, her face buried in his armpit, his button down almost soaked all the way through with tears.

She was gone.

Gone too soon.

Taken when he needed her most.

He didn't know how to raise a first grader. No one had ever shown him how.

And in the year that he had spent trying so desperately to get back into Jude's good graces, he had picked up a thing or two.

But those things would change as Marie grew and the changes would not last forever.

The blackness that surrounded him, also suffocated him instead of becoming a protective shield. The people in the room, the silent stares.

The pity in their eyes.

They thought they knew how he felt.

But they had no fucking clue.

A week was all it took to turn his world upside down.

To take his fiancé and mother of his child away.

He would never be the same.

Every time he closed his eyes, he saw that fiery redhead. The first day she had ever sung in front of him played like a movie behind his eyes.

He didn't know how he was going to move on.

To live.

But he knew he had to.

For Marie.

She was his only connection to Jude now, wherever she was.

Tears started to form in the corners of his eyes as he realized he would never know where she was.

Ever again.

He didn't want to think of the cliché about her always being in his heart.

But a part of him knew it was true.

And the other part knew she would always be in Marie, the small miracle they had created when their world wasn't even spinning on its axis.

He saw it fitting that that was how his world was now.

Off kilter.

Complete and utter chaos.

He sighed heavily, knowing that he couldn't think the way he was.

He had to be strong because that's what Jude would have wanted.

He, despite all of his faults, had always tried to be there for her when she needed him.

And though he knew she didn't need him now, he knew someone else did.

Marie.

He would change and move on for their daughter.

Because that's what she would have wanted.

_The room was silent as we all tried so hard to remember  
The way it feels to be alive  
The day that he first met her  
Something's gotta change  
Things cannot stay the same_

The song pounded in his head or maybe it was the familiar taste of liquor on his tongue that was doing the trick.

He didn't know.

He didn't care.

He was numb.

His fiancé was dead.

There.

He had finally said it.

Or thought it rather.

And nothing – **nothing** – was going to bring her back.

It was his fault.

He shouldn't have let her pick up dinner while he was working late at the studio.

He should have gotten off his ass and done it himself.

But he didn't.

And now, she was six feet under.

And he was sitting on a heavy bar stool with a beautiful blonde next to him, J.D. being his wingman.

"You come here often?"

_You make me think of someone wonderful, but I can't place her_

He glanced to his right, his vision blurred, the light bouncing off the woman's chest.

She reminded him of someone, but he couldn't remember her name.

It was on the tip of tongue, but he couldn't form the words.

He shrugged quickly and raised his glass to her, a semblance of celebration.

She smirked, at least that's all he could make out, and raised her glass in return.

The routine continued for a few more rounds before he called it a night or morning, however anyone wanted to look at it.

He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the bar, taking her to his car.

The sun shined through the separation in his curtains by the time he made it home.

He was too tired and drunk to do anything about it. That and he was bit preoccupied with a certain someone he had brought home.

He fumbled with the buttons on his shirt, the blonde deciding to charge instead.

He let go and reveled in being taken care of. Something Jude would have done.

Jude.

Jude.

**JUDE.**

He looked in front of him, the images before his eyes fading in and out.

The blonde looked up at him, a lustful smile on her face and in her eyes.

Her eyes.

He couldn't breathe.

His heart stopped, his voice in his throat.

They was he doing?

He pushed her hands away, her entire body backing up as a result.

She stared at him in confusion, her head tilted to the side, like a puppy who didn't understand.

"I love Jude," he muttered.

A semblance of something flashed over her face and she turned abruptly and walked out the same way they had entered his room.

His body no longer could hold him up and he fell on the carpeted floor of the room he once shared with her.

Hot tears sprang from his eyes, clouding his vision even more. His body was racked with cries of despair.

He clenched his hands into fits, his face wet.

He looked up at the ceiling as if he could see her face.

"I love you. I'm so sorry," he whispered. He shook his head, tears still flowing down his face. "I miss you so much."

And he meant every word.

The sun danced across high-vaulted ceiling, Tommy's eyes seeing a blue that he remembered when he looked at Jude.

"I'm gonna be better. A better man. I promise."

_I wake up every morning wishing one more time to face her  
Something's gotta change  
It must be rearranged, oh_


	3. I'm Sorry

**A/N**: Sorry this took so long to get out. I know I was using it to get rid of my writer's block for another fic, but then it took forever for me to get the newest chapter out for that, so this kind of went on the back burner. But now it's done!

I hope you like it!

**THANKS**:

anothercasualty: Yeah, I figured I might as well put that in there so no one felt like I was lying to them. LOL. It wasn't my original plan…to have her die, but then the more I listened to the song, the more it sounded right. LOL. Well, he did, but he has to live with the situation now, not Jude. Jude is dead. She won't be coming back. This chapter you will see the story of Tommy and Jude. Thank you!

cellardoor: Thank you! I'm glad. I'm not that big of a fan of that stuff unless it's written well; that's the only way I can handle it. Fluff can sometimes be overbearing and then it's not nearly as much as one intended, but I think I like them equally. Thank you for thinking this is amazing.

Twilit Fire: Yes, yes she did. It wasn't what I had planned, but it happened. They are, but in this one, Tommy will have to keep Jude close to him in other ways. I'm sorry! LOL.

bbybty9: I didn't mean to make you cry. Promise. LOL. Yes, that would make it Ommy. I'm sorry.

Jenn6891: Jommy isn't dead, it's just not as physical as we'd like. Sorry! I'm updating now!

**DISCLAIMER**: Song: "Goodnight, Goodnight" by Maroon 5. Listen to it. I love it. :D

**THANKS MUCHO!**

* * *

**Goodnight, Goodnight**

Chapter Three

"I'm Sorry"

He had kept his promise.

At least on the days that he was able to remember which way was up and which was down.

And that didn't happen very often.

He sat in the living room of their loft, staring at a blank television, Marie doing her homework in her room.

Marie.

She was the epitome of her mother.

No one could deny that.

She even had her musical talent.

It was hard to look at her sometimes, when all he saw staring back at him was a younger Jude.

There were times when he regretted coming back; thinking that if he had just stayed away, Marie would have been spared the pain of losing her mother and having a loser for a father.

But he knew it was just the pity rising up in him that caused him to think those things.

He loved Marie. There was nothing he wouldn't do for her.

She gazed up at the high-vaulted ceiling, watching the sun make shadows against the cream paint.

If she closed her eyes tight enough, she could see her face. Her eyes. Her smile.

She could even hear her voice.

It was moments like the one she was experiencing that made everything seem like a dream.

As if she had never died.

As if she had never left her with a man she barely knew.

Yes, he was her father. But there was times when she would look at him and couldn't see any resemblance in his face.

She remembered the night she had first met him, thinking he was some long lost friend of her mother's. That was only partly true.

She had known her father existed. Jude had told her about him every day.

But she had never imagined that she would have to live with him. Alone.

Without Jude.

He gazed at the glass in his hand, the condensation running down his arm.

From the corner of his eye, he saw a flash of movement. His heart leaped.

Then she appeared.

He smiled weakly, seeing the hesitation in her eyes.

"All done?" he asked.

She nodded quietly, a lump caught in her throat.

The air in the living room thickened and he could sense the conversation coming a mile away.

"Come here."

She ran to him, throwing herself into his lap, holding on to his arms with all she had.

"I miss her," she mumbled into his shoulder, the tears from her eyes already wetting his shirt.

"Me too," he responded, rubbing circles on her back. "Me too."

They sat like that for what felt like forever before she finally let go of his arms and looked up at him.

Her eyes were red and puffy and she had dried tear stains running down her cheeks.

His heart sank as he watched his daughter in pain. A pain he felt every day.

She sniffled slightly, trying to let all of her tears out before speaking.

"Tell me a story."

He looked away, trying to think of something to say, but he couldn't find the words.

"About what?" he asked, turning back towards her.

She stayed silent for a second and then opened her mouth. "About why you let mommy leave."

Her words hit him like a sucker punch to the stomach. There wasn't a good enough excuse or reason as to why he let her go. He just thought it would be easier. For both of them. "I loved your mom very much. You know that, right?"

She shook her head. "You _love_ her," she corrected.

He sighed, realizing his mistake. "Right. I _love_ her."

She gazed him, waiting for him to continue.

"And we were young," he said, glancing at his glass.

A smirk formed on her face. "Dad, you're 35. You're old."

He smiled, gazing back at her. "Yeah, I'm old."

A soft laugh echoed from her lips as she situated herself better on his lap.

"But being older doesn't always mean being smarter, you know."

"Yeah, I know," she said, nodding. "I had to teach you how to use the toaster, remember?"

"Yeah," he breathed.

"So?" she asked.

"So…we were fighting all the time."

"And?"

"And, it was hard. On both of us," he responded. He sighed heavily, his mind racing back to the fights of his past. "I hated seeing that disappointed look on her face every time she saw me. Your mom and I waited to be together for years and then it was like _this is what I got_ when she saw me."

He shook his head, trying to dispel all of the old memories he had of them together. "I didn't want to be a disappointment to her anymore."

"Mommy said you were never home. How could you be a disappointment if you never did anything?" Marie asked.

"That's it," he replied. "By not doing anything. I didn't live up to my end of the deal."

"Which was what?"

"Loving her. Taking care of her. Being there for her."

Her eyes gazed down. "Oh."

"See we fought cause I was never around. And when I was around we would fight. So I stayed away," he said, glancing up at the ceiling. The sun was starting to set and the walls darkened with the light. He sighed. "It was a vicious cycle. And I should have seen it. But I didn't," he said lowly, more to himself than to Marie.

"See what?" she asked. She laid her head against his shoulder and looked up at the ceiling, a perfect replica of her father.

"That your mom was pregnant," he whispered.

It was something he had thought profusely after he first came back. The reason as to why Jude had always been on his case when he wasn't around yet had always been agitated by his mere presence.

"You didn't know?" Marie asked, glancing at her father.

Tommy shook his head. "Not until I came back."

"But how come you didn't see it?" Marie asked, settling her head back firmly against her father's shoulder.

"Your mom was always on my case. Why couldn't I stay home? Why was I always late? Could I fix this? Can we get a bigger car? How about we move? And she was so goddamn moody. Her hormones were so out of whack. But I wasn't home enough to pay close enough attention. But if I was, I probably would have noticed. She knew and she just wanted me there," he replied.

"Yeah," Marie agreed, nodding her head. Her hair tickled Tom's skin and he brushed it away from his face. "It must have been scary doing it alone."

"Yeah," he replied, gazing at his daughter lovingly. "And all the while I was never alone."

"You weren't?" she asked, turning her head towards him, only seeing his chin.

"Mar, bars are filled with women," he explained. "And alcohol. A bad combination."

Mar pushed herself off her father completely, staring him the eyes. A chill ran down Tommy's spine as his mind registered the look as something Jude would have done had he needed some reprimanding. "You were a skeevie?"

"What's that?" he asked, his brow furrowing, confused.

"A bad guy who stays out all night, likes to drink, and hang out with girls," she recited.

A wide smirk formed on Tommy's face, knowing the description had Jude written all over it. "Your mom made that up?"

"Yeah," Marie said, nodding.

And then a horrible thought registered in his head.

"She said I was a skeevie?"

"No," Marie replied. Tommy relaxed. "She said you liked music and could always _say_ the right thing to make her smile." He smiled widely. "But that you could always _do_ the right thing to make her cry."

Tommy slumped in his chair. "Yeah, I could," he said, agreeing.

Marie took his answer as a confirmation that everything her mother had said about her father was true: he was a good guy with good intentions who went about things the wrong way, thinking they were right.

She hoped that he had changed…for them. Or for her.

Some silent minutes passed, the sun setting farther and farther. The walls had shades of purple across them now.

Settling herself against her father's chest, she asked a question she had been wondering for a while. "If you had known about me, do you think you would have made her stay?"

"I don't know," he answered honestly.

He didn't. He wished he knew, but a part of him felt as if things had to happen the way they had…just so he would have grown up – changed – for them. He just wished he hadn't had to do it alone now.

"What I do know is," he said, gazing down at Marie. "That I love your mom and I love you very much. And I am going to do everything in my power to keep you my little girl, okay?"

A bright smile appeared on Marie's face. She nodded fervently, apparently liking his statement. "Okay."

She leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his cheek, something that slightly startled Tommy. His cheeks began to color and Marie noticed. Giggles sounded in the room as she laughed at his embarrassment and they only got louder as Tommy's hands ran over the sides of her stomach and the bottom of her feet, tickling her with all his might.

_I'm sorry, I did not mean to hurt my little girl_

_It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of a heavy world  
_

_So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight  
_

_Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight  
_

_Goodnight, hope that things work out all right_

Her head hit the pillow faster than he could finish singing and he instantly knew she was asleep. Her chest rose in fast spells, her fast had contentment written all over it.

He gazed down at his daughter and his chest tightened. From out of nowhere, a lone tear ran down his cheek, but he did nothing to stop it.

Leaning down, he placed a firm kiss on Marie's forehead and then walked toward the door. Opening it slowly, he looked over his shoulder and gazed at Marie one last time.

"I love you," he whispered. It wasn't loud enough for Marie to hear, but he hoped someone had. Maybe, just maybe.

His hand touched the light switch fast, the light extinguishing in the small red room. He turned around and closed the door slowly, but not before saying "Goodnight."


	4. So Much To Love

**A/N**: Ahh, I can't believe it's been so long. I'm so sorry – for this being so late and being so short. There is only one more chapter after this. :)

Oh, I don't have a set number of years that have passed between the last chapter and this chapter – use your imagination. I did.

**THANKS**:

bbybty9: Yeah, they did. I know, I'm sorry. LMAO!! For reals – maybe next time. :)

anothercasualty: Thanks Anna! Yep. I'm glad you liked it. And yeah, she is the last connection to her basically (besides Sadie and such, but that's not the same). LOL. I figured she'd have to if she's going to be a Jommy child. Oh and yes, I have not forgotten about 'High Hopes' – it's been on the list for a very long time. Here is the new post.

Tokio Hotel Cutie: I know! I'm just in love with M5. :)

**DISCLAIMER**: Song: "Goodnight, Goodnight" by Maroon 5. Listen to it. I love it. :D

**THANKS MUCHO!**

**

* * *

**

**Goodnight, Goodnight**

Chapter Four

"So Much To Love"

She hated him. So much.

She wanted her mom back. Didn't he see that?

A frustrated growl echoed against the walls of Marie's bedroom and she curled her fingers up into fists, banging them down against her bed. She could feel fresh tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall.

"Marie, open the door."

"No!" she yelled back, the tears falling down her cheeks.

She was suppose to be stronger than this, just like her mother. She had grown up believing she was just like Jude, but now, sitting on the edge of her bed, facing her bedroom door – she had second guesses. Jude wouldn't hide – she would face her problems head on.

But what if her problem was the man she loved?

"Marie, please."

Her face contorted in pain, more tears falling.

Maybe she was more like her father than she realized – maybe she had it in her to run.

She choked back another round of tears and breathed deeply.

She didn't know what to do; she only knew she needed help.

He could hear her crying through the flimsy wood door and his heart tightened. She sounded just like Jude.

He placed his head against the door and sighed, listening to her move around the room.

This was getting harder for him. His little girl was no longer little and she was just as stubborn as her mother was – if not worse because she also had his blood flowing through her.

She brushed the red cover with the pads of her fingers, dust particles falling to the floor. The spine creaked as she opened the book.

_So much to love  
So much to learn_

Her fingers ran over the words – words that she knew by heart – that were written by her mother. On her 10th birthday, her father had given her a present wrapped in faded brown paper. She remembered glancing at the writing on the outside and instantly bursting into tears. She took the present to her room and placed it underneath her pillow, waiting for the right time to open it.

When her party was over, she took it out and unwrapped it. It was a journal, much like one that her mother owned – red leather cover, black-lined pages.

On the front inside cover, Jude had written to her.

_M,_

_I love you. I've never loved anyone more than I love you. I want you to know that._

_I know you're probably wondering why I'm giving this to you, but if I know you as well as I think I already do, you're going to need a place to vent._

_I know your dad can be hard. Believe I know. But that's why I fell in love with him – it's why I still love him – even after all this time._

_Please be kind to him – whenever he enters your life. This is hard on him too. But know that he loves you. Remember what I said – your dad is a good guy. He'll always say the right thing to make you smile. But that he'll always do the right thing to make you cry. It's just who he is. Flash him a smile and everything will fine…until you start dating that is. :)_

_If all else fails – Don't run! Fight him head on. It'll all work out in the end. He's only trying to protect you, but I know you're a fighter – just like me. :)_

_Remember that I will always be here for you – whenever you need me. I promise._

_And never stop writing, babe. Your music comes from within and I know it's beautiful._

_-J  
_

_But I won't be there to teach you, oh  
I know I can be close  
But I try my best to reach you_

He pressed his ear to the door and realized he could no longer hear her crying. He couldn't hear anything. And that scared him more.

Suddenly, the door opened and he fell forward, catching his fall on Marie's bed. Marie stood in front of him, a pointed look on her face with one hand on her door knob, the other on her hip. A sheepish smile formed on Tommy's face as he glanced at his daughter.

"Before you even begin to lecture me, I'm going to say one thing. I'm going to that party."

Tommy's brow rose in disbelief. If she thought that's how it was going to go – she was wrong. Tommy folded his arms across his chest in defiance. "Oh really?"

"Yes. And you know why?" Marie asked.

Tommy's jaw jutted out. "Why?"

"Because I've never done anything to lose your trust," she said. "I come home on time and when I'm late, I call. My grades are aces and I don't do drugs or drink or whatever. You know that messes up my cords."

Tommy nodded his head. Yes, Marie was the ideal daughter – minus her stubborn streak. He never had to worry about her. He was lucky. "It's not that I don't trust you – "

"You don't trust everyone else, right?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

"Right."

"But if you trusted me, then you would believe that no matter what anyone else did, I would make my own decisions. For myself and not just because someone said it was cool."

"Right."

A smile graced Marie's face and Tommy's heart clenched – she definitely had Jude's smile. "It's settled then. I'll see you later." Marie turned around and walked through the threshold.

"Wait, I never said that," Tommy said, following her toward the restroom.

Marie placed one hand on the doorway of the restroom and looked over her shoulder, flashing another smile. "You didn't have to, Dad. I'm a mind reader," she said, winking.

Before he could make another comment, Tommy was engulfed in a hug. Marie wrapped both her arms around him and squeezed once before letting go. "Thanks, Dad," she said, before she placed a kiss on his cheek.

"I promise to be good," Marie said, walking back into the restroom, a smile on her face. "Just like Mom."

Tommy leaned against the hallway wall and audibly groaned. He still had his work cut out for him.


	5. I'm So Sorry

**A/N**: We're at the end. This is the last one. I hope you like it.

**THANKS**:

charley07: Glad to have you back! I could listen to Adam sing all day. :] Thank you. I figured that's how most people would have liked it. It wasn't crucial to the plot so I didn't really care. You don't have to wait any longer – it's here.

**DISCLAIMER**: Song: "Goodnight, Goodnight" by Maroon 5. Listen to it. I love it. :D

**THANKS MUCHO!**

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**Goodnight, Goodnight**

Chapter Five

"I'm So Sorry"

He opened the door slowly, his hand turning the knob at a snail's pace. The room was mostly dark except for the moonlight that filtered through the shutters on the wall opposite the door. He poked his head around the door and his eyes fell on her face that shone in the light.

He opened the door more and walked into the room fully.

Years had passed and he had never forgotten this tradition. No matter how late it was – he always snuck into her room and watched her sleep. She had gotten older, but she was still his little girl. She always would be.

She was the reason he woke up in the morning, the reason he laughed, the reason he loved, the reason he smiled. She was his reason for life.

He leaned against the chest of drawers next to her door and folded his arms, a smile playing on his lips. She sighed in her sleep, clutching her blanket tighter.

No longer did she have nightmares, where she would have to run into his room and jump into his bed. No longer did she ask him to look for the monsters under her bed and in her closet. And no longer did she ask when her mommy was coming back.

_I'm so sorry, I did not mean to hurt my little girl_

When Jude passed, the first thing Tom had wanted to do was run, leave. But Marie needed him. And as time passed, he realized he needed her as well. He stopped pushing her away and tried to stop pointing out the things about her that were just like Jude – although he could never fully stop. There were just too many similarities.

_It's beyond me, I cannot carry the weight of a heavy world_

He thought he could to it alone. Be alone. Feel alone. But she was always there. And when Marie was old enough to see the repercussions of her mother's death, she had been there to pick him up. To make him realize that he was never alone.

She was like Jude in that way – always trying to help him. Make him better. And instead of fighting her, he had let her in. Unlike any other relationship he had ever had. Because this was one was real, true, forever.

She would always be his.

His little girl.

_So goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight_

_Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight_

_Goodnight, goodnight, goodnight, goodnight_

_Goodnight, hope that things work out all right, yeah_

Leaning down, he placed a firm kiss on Marie's forehead. A faint smile painted her face and his heart clenched. He backed away from the bed and walked towards the door. Opening it slowly, he looked over his shoulder and gazed at Marie one last time.

"I love you," he whispered. It was never loud enough for Marie to hear, but he had hope that every time he said it, someone else heard it. Maybe, just maybe.

His hand tightened around the knob. He turned around and closed the door slowly, but not before saying "Goodnight."

**THE END.**

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Finally, it's done! I can't believe it took this long, but I'm glad I finished. I hope you liked it. :)


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